Marketplace blasts kill 14 in central Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan

Back-to-back blasts in Afghanistan's relatively safe central Bamyan province killed at least 14 people on Tuesday, officials confirmed.

According to the Interior Ministry, the blasts ripped through the marketplace in the evening rush hour, killing 13 civilians and a traffic officer. Spokesman Tariq Arian said in a statement that up to 45 people injured in this “unforgiveable” crime. He said two magnetic bombs caused the blasts in a crowded market.

Bamyan, a famous tourist resort among local and international tourists, was long cherished as one of the relatively safest corners in the otherwise restive country, battling Taliban insurgency for nearly 20 years.

The head of the public hospital in Bamyan, Faroguddin Amiri told Anadolu Agency via phone that women and children are among the victims of explosions.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts.